Mullet Run 2011--REPORT your sightings please

[BoatlessFisherman]

OK they are moving up north most are resident Black and striped mullet coming out from the back water.

over the next 25 to 40 days give or take things are going to happen.

Storms and Cold Fronts do make a BIG difference

How its normally goes

First Bait starts moving, Pilchard, Gold spots, small gogs, cigar minnows and this is starting.

Then Resident Mullet start south, pouring out from all the inlets to the north of Biscayne bay all the way up the coast.

Then Finger Mullet comes

Then back to big Black Mullet and silver from the north.

Now over the time of the mullet moving the Ladyfish, Bluefish, Mackerel, Sharks, Tarpon, Snook are here with the schools in the last couple of years I have not seen many large predators, but definitely some and many Ladyfish, Bluefish, Mackerel, Black tips and Atlantic sharp nose sharks.

Pompano arrive normally at the end of the mullet


No one really ever knows how it is going to be until it is done.

From my personal viewing of this every year, they have been ok not as long as it was years ago but still a run with some good fishing time.

Don't let the skeptical ones get you down, if you want to see it for what it is you will have to be at the ocean a lot of that time, I am lucky because i am there many days a year and especially during the Fall and spring runs leading up to and during. Matter of Fact My rods just got re spooled and I am adjusting my schedule so I can be there every morning at Sunrise from around September 1st to October 20th.

I personally think it is worth it, I love to see people catching fish and I love to catch fish.

I think it will be a great year but I am always optimistic when it comes to fishing, outside of Flat and clear water days.

So this post is so we can all add when and where we see large schools and the direction they are moving, I will add also what I hear from friends to the north.

I will also do a thread that will try and help to predict the days that may be better for fishing during that time in and around BROWARD to give those a chance to hit the fish on good days.

[cyril1974]

Hey Tommy,
Great post.. I need a little help though.. I have been fishing John U. Lloyd lately and have seen what looked like red tide coming in, but it was a giant ball of baitfish which covered a LARGE area, like I said it looked red in the water, then I could see various shiny silver on their sides as they moved, they went right by about 6 big snooks, which refused to eat anything I threw at them earlier and then they refused to touch this school of baitfish.. have any idea what kind of fish they are?

Thanks,

Charles

[BoatlessFisherman]

Normally when I see a bait ball that has redish or brown its Mullet, so how large is the bait, the other bait is speedos can give a brownish or reddish appearance also.

I think maybe you see a Mix of Pilchards and speedos

I'll tell you what though when the finger mullet pull into that trough in a few weeks that trough from John L park to the Dania Pier can be a blast when everywhere else is to rough to fish, Snook Ladyfish will be solid and all you need is a finger mullet casted out 50 feet or 100 and Bam I have had a lot of fun fishing the start right where you fish.

[cyril1974]

the bait looked about 3-4 inches long.. I wished I had a net at that point.. they were right in front of me!

Charles

[zeenman1]

great post! white bait is here pilchards with a few sardines mixed in. You will need a cast net to get bait as these schools do not hit sabiki rigs much now. The bite is not hot right now but it will pick up as more bait gathers up. Look for bait schools that break the surface (boiling) because that means a predator is near by. Also look for white holes in the bait schools, the holes are where bait part way for predators moving through the school. Snook are the target species for me so I look for them on the deep side of the bait clouds, in the trough, and in the white holes. Tarpon are also another target they tend to do everything the snook do but they prefer the deep side of the schools. Mullet will be coming sooner or later. You will see small pods mixed in with white bait, then the full mullet run will be on. Happy Bait!

[Chevy Juan]

I'm down South in Florida City Tommy, but I haven't seen em' yet. I'm most likely hitting up a spot tonight with some friends and I'll keep everyone on the look out.

[fixed80]

TOMMY.... the mullet run here in Brevard county and into the next counties south have huge schools moving south. it actually started in July which is super early i think. i wonder if this means something. tarpon busting bait all over off some beaches as well as sharks etc.
maybe an early winter is coming this year.

[PhishingPhanatic]

There were some schools of corn cob silver mullet around Hobe Sound last weekend, not huge pods but people were getting 30-40 per cast net throw.

[Boca Jetty Rat]

For sure big pilchards in the surf in south palm beach county. No mullet spotted around south county yet.

[Bi0tic]

Last weekend a co-worker said there were big schools of mullet getting hammered by 4 ft. tarpon in the first trough, Vero Beach. He said the lifeguards ordered everyone out of the water

[e46hoodrich]

i saw a pod of mullet's in the whiskey creek at john u lloyd park.they were on the move, no way i woulda been able throw the net at them.

[flycaster]

Been flyfishing for snook along Jensen Beach, Mac Arthur Park and the Boynton Beaches. To tell you the truth, haven't seen many large bait schools yet. Last year, along certain sections of the Boynton Beaches, there were tons of bait fish, but his year hardly seeing anything. Nonetheless, the snook are still showing up along the shore edges. Just have to be patient.

[BoatlessFisherman]

If your not into fishing live bait right now,
Broward BEACHES now for the next 4 weeks --soaked crabs on the bottom yea thats right Hummm wonder what ya might catch can you say Perm------it or Cob------ia

[fixed80]

tarpon hitting the mullet everywhere in brevard and indian river.

[hansummoe]

tarpon hitting the mullet everywhere in brevard and indian river.

sebastian inlet...prepod mullet action...I am getting butterflies....SEPT.1 countdown is on...SNOOK

[chris21]

I have been fishing John Lloyd park consistently the entire summer, but the only bait are huge schools of pilchards and anchovies, no mullet yet. last year I really noticed the mullet showing up in very large numbers around mid November, I went fishing in Haulover inlet and cast net hundreds of them in just about 5 minutes. We just have to wait a little more before serious numbers of them invade our beaches!!

[fishfun83]

I know I am late posting this but I just found and joined the forum.

I keep a log of the fish I catch and the conditions I catch fish. On the 15th of this month, there were large schools of mullet with gigantic tarpon and snook blowing them out of the water. I, along with a friend, ended up catching 4 or 5 snook and 1 tarpon that weighed about 20 pounds. We had light tackle so I was glad one of the 150 pounders didn't take my bait.

Been fishing nearly every day since I saw the schools on the 15th. Have not seen any large schools since then. Hoping the winds from the storm will bring them in.

[Boca Jetty Rat]

Boynton inlet is full of white bait. No crabs or fleas that I could find from Boca to Boynton today. I hate tryin to get crabs this time of year.

[BoatlessFisherman]

Boynton inlet is full of white bait. No crabs or fleas that I could find from Boca to Boynton today. I hate tryin to get crabs this time of year.

I am getting crabs in the trough in lauderdale by the sea

[chris21]

Tommy do you catch the crabs off thee pier or just walking the surf?

[BoatlessFisherman]

Piers, but you could just walk in to about 2 feet of water where the trough is and plant your traps, I use box traps so they climb in and do get out. A lot of Blue crab now also.

[joenofishhere]

Was at haulover the other night, no mullet just lots and lots of jellyfish. Outgoing. Should start trickling through these next couple weeks.

[chris21]

Yeah unfortunately the jellies are very thick now and will be like that for a little while longer according to what I heard

[TOWGUY]

My dad went to a friend's home on Miami Beach and his friend lives by the bay (Marseilles dr. ) 2 blocks north of 71 street. Past by there today to tow his car and sure enough. Mullet galore . Also the little bridge on Bay dr, I saw mullet swimming in circles.. Time was 7:25am

[chris21]

I always see a pretty good amount of mullet at Griffin park marina, they seem to be there all the time so its a good spot

[fixed80]

too many mullet at Sebastian inlet.

[bbegovic1]

Big pods right off deerfield today moving through steadily. Multiple schools of them.